A young boy whose birthday party made the news for the wrong reasons last year is now getting a birthday party to remember this year.
David Chen, a dad of four, told Global News last year that they wanted to throw a party for his son Max, who has autism, on his sixth birthday.
He said they wanted to have an all-class party so they picked a venue and sent out invitations.
“Unfortunately, we got one person that said yes, two people that said no and 16 that didn’t say anything,” Chen said. “It was kind of an empty feeling.”
Chen didn’t want to blame anyone for what happened but this year Max is going to have a birthday to remember.
He said he wanted to host an inclusive celebration for all kids so he reached out to Autism BC for help.
They are putting on a huge party, with Max’s class attending and 40 other families.
The event is being held at 365 Funday in Richmond and everyone will get a present and their own cupcake with a candle.
“The idea was also to not only have his classmates come and celebrate and have this group dynamic where everybody can be special, but it was an opportunity for his classmates to see what neurodiversity is like and actually what philanthropy is like,” Chen said Wednesday.
Autism BC said they hear stories like Max’s all the time and it’s important to tell those stories.
“Max’s story isn’t one that is rare,” Brock Sheppard, Autism BC’s program manager told Global News.
“I feel like lots of times there are children who are excluded from social events or activities because they’re different or not understood by their peers.”